Reference · 35 terms · Texas-specific
STAAR + TEKS Glossary
Every acronym and term in the Texas STAAR / TEKS ecosystem, defined in plain English. Bookmark this page — you'll need it more often than you'd think.
STAAR
State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. The standardized test the Texas Education Agency (TEA) administers to every public-school student from grade 3 through high school. Replaced TAKS in 2012. Online-only since 2023.
TEKS
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. The official Texas curriculum standards — the things every public-school kid is expected to know by the end of each grade. Written by the State Board of Education, published in Title 19 of the Texas Administrative Code. STAAR measures TEKS mastery.
TEA
Texas Education Agency. The state agency that runs Texas K-12 public education — sets policy, administers STAAR, oversees school accountability ratings, distributes funding. Headquartered in Austin. Their website is tea.texas.gov.
Performance Level
The bucket your kid's STAAR score lands in. There are four: Masters Grade Level (top), Meets Grade Level (passing), Approaches Grade Level (needs support), Did Not Meet Grade Level (significant gap). Cutoffs are statewide and set by TEA before each test. Full breakdown in our STAAR Scores Explained article.
Scaled Score
The number (roughly 1100-1900 depending on grade) on the score report. Different from raw points correct — scaled to be comparable across years and grades. The performance level is derived from the scaled score using TEA's annual cutoffs.
Reporting Category
A grouping of related TEKS within a subject — also called a "strand." For Grade 4 STAAR Math, the reporting categories are: Numerical Representations and Relationships, Computations and Algebraic Relationships, Geometry and Measurement, and Data Analysis and Personal Financial Literacy. Each gets a percent-correct on the score report. The strand breakdown is the most actionable part of the report.
EOC
End-of-Course exam. High-school STAAR tests taken at the end of specific courses: Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology, U.S. History. Students must score at least "Approaches" on five EOCs to graduate — this is a real graduation requirement, unlike grades 3-8.
Cambium
The vendor whose platform Texas uses to deliver STAAR online. Kids log into the Cambium Assessment portal with a unique access code provided by their school. Same platform delivers practice tests too — TEA publishes them free at www.texasassessment.gov.
Multi-Select Question
A STAAR question type where the kid picks TWO or THREE correct answers from a list (not just one). Format trips up kids who default to picking one and clicking Next. Drilled in our question types guide.
Grid-In Answer
A STAAR question type where there are no answer choices — the kid types a numeric answer into a grid or equation editor. Format is strict on the answer notation (3.5 ≠ "three and a half"). Common in math.
Hot-Spot Question
A STAAR question type where the kid clicks a specific point on a diagram or graph. Used for plotting points, identifying angles, marking elements on figures. Precision-on-touchscreen matters.
Released Test
A real STAAR test that TEA publishes after a testing window closes. Free, downloadable from the TEA website. Best free practice material available because it IS the test, just from a prior year.
Strand
Synonym for "reporting category." See above. Texas educators use "strand" colloquially; the score report uses "reporting category" formally.
RtI / MTSS
Response to Intervention (older term) or Multi-Tiered System of Supports (newer term). The structured framework districts use to give kids who score low extra help. Tier 1 = whole-class instruction. Tier 2 = small-group pull-out (30-45 min, 3-5×/week). Tier 3 = intensive 1:1 or very-small-group (daily, 45+ min). If your kid got "Did Not Meet" or "Approaches" and the school's already moved them to Tier 2, that's the system working.
IEP
Individualized Education Program. A legal document (federal IDEA law) for kids with diagnosed disabilities. Spells out specific accommodations, services, and goals. Schools must follow it. If your kid has an IEP, they get STAAR accommodations like extended time or read-aloud — and those don't lower the score.
Section 504 Plan
Like an IEP but lighter — for kids with conditions that "substantially limit a major life activity" (ADHD, dyslexia, severe anxiety) but who don't qualify for full special-ed services. Provides classroom and testing accommodations. Easier to get than an IEP; the evaluation takes 4-8 weeks.
Benchmark Test
A district-administered practice test, usually given 2-3 times a year, designed to predict STAAR performance. Different from STAAR (district makes it; TEA doesn't see results). Useful diagnostic; not a high-stakes test.
MAP / NWEA
Measures of Academic Progress, a separate test from STAAR made by the NWEA company. Many Texas districts use MAP 2-3 times a year as a benchmark. Adaptive (the test adjusts difficulty as kids answer). Reports a RIT score, which is on a totally different scale from STAAR scaled scores.
EL / ELL / EB
English Learner / English Language Learner / Emergent Bilingual. Designations for students whose home language isn't English. EBs get STAAR accommodations including bilingual dictionaries and (for some grades) Spanish-language test versions.
GT
Gifted and Talented. Texas-specific program for kids who score above a district threshold (varies by district) on an aptitude test. GT kids get pull-out enrichment, advanced coursework, or both. Status doesn't change STAAR — kids still take the regular grade-level test.
TAKS
The Texas test STAAR replaced in 2012. You'll still see references in older school documents. No current Texas student takes TAKS.
Distinction Designations
Annual TEA awards to schools that excel in specific areas (academic achievement in reading, math, science, social studies; post-secondary readiness; closing performance gaps). Displayed on TEA's "Texas School Report Cards" website. Useful for comparing schools.
A-F Accountability Rating
The letter grade TEA gives each district and campus annually based on STAAR results + other factors. Calculated each summer. Available on txschools.gov. Useful for school choice but doesn't tell you everything — a B-rated school in a tough zip code may be doing more for kids than an A-rated one in a wealthy area.
Texas Assessment Portal
The TEA-run website (www.texasassessment.gov) where parents look up their kid's STAAR scores. You need your kid's unique access code from the school. The "Check your STAAR score" button on this site links here.
Standards-Aligned
Practice content (worksheets, lessons, apps) that's tagged to specific TEKS standards. Look for this when picking practice resources. A "Grade 4 Math worksheet" that doesn't say "TEKS 4.4A" might be teaching the right skill or might not. TEKS-aligned means it definitely is.
Reporting Period
The window TEA uses to count and publish STAAR results. Spring scores arrive in early June. The next year's accountability ratings come out in August.
High-Performing Athlete / 2-year exemption
Niche, but: some athlete pathways grant STAAR exemptions in specific years. Rare. If your high-school kid is recruited and the school mentions this, get it in writing.
Open-Ended Constructed Response
A STAAR question type in Reading where kids type a 2-4 sentence answer instead of picking a choice. Graded by humans + AI against a rubric. Math doesn't use this format.
Readiness Standard / Supporting Standard
TEA divides each grade's TEKS into Readiness Standards (the big ones — must-know for next grade) and Supporting Standards (still tested but lower weight). STAAR weights readiness standards higher in the scored sections. Worth focusing practice time on readiness standards first.
Domain (in TEKS)
The top-level grouping of standards within a subject — e.g. "Number and Operations" is a domain in Math TEKS. Sits above strands/reporting categories in the hierarchy.
Seed Class
The cohort of students who took a particular grade's STAAR for the first time after a curriculum change. TEA uses seed-class data to set future cutoff scores. Not something parents need to act on; just appears in school-board discussions.
Federal vs. State Tests
Texas runs STAAR (state). The federal government requires reading + math testing in grades 3-8 + once in high school under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) — STAAR satisfies both. Texas also gives the NAEP ("Nation's Report Card") to a sample of students every other year, separate from STAAR.
Dyslexia Identification
Texas law requires schools to screen all kindergarten and first-grade kids for dyslexia (HB 3928, 2023). If your kid is identified, they get specific structured-literacy intervention plus STAAR Reading accommodations. Significantly underdiagnosed; if you suspect it, push for the formal evaluation.
STAAR Alternate
A separate STAAR version for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities (~1% of students). Designed differently from regular STAAR; results aren't compared on the same scale.
Academic Growth (vs. Achievement)
Two different things TEA measures. Achievement = what level your kid scored at. Growth = whether they moved up from last year. A kid who went from "Did Not Meet" to "Approaches" has high growth even if their achievement is still below "Meets." Both show up on accountability reports.
PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, ACT (vs. STAAR)
Different tests, different purposes. STAAR is state-mandated K-12 accountability. SAT/ACT are college-admissions tests (some Texas universities have gone test-optional). PSAT is a SAT practice test, taken in 10th-11th grade. STAAR results don't directly affect SAT/ACT performance, but the underlying skills overlap (Algebra I TEKS ≈ SAT-Math Algebra).